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(No Model) 4 a 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. HUMANS.

ELECTRIC ANNUNGIATOR AND COMMUNICATING APPARATUS.

No. 277,286. Patented May 8,1883.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shed; 2.

W. HUMANS.

ELECTRIC ANNUNOIATOR AND COMMUNICATING APPARATUS. No. 277,286. Patented May 8,1883.

I S/E FlI'EII.

u Pains. Mun-1:11pm. Washington. 0.1:.

UN TED STATES t PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAu HUMANs, or OAMBBIDGEPORT, ASSIGNOR, BY MEsNE AssIeN- MENTS, or ONE-HALF TO JOHN H. OOLLAMORE, on BosroN, MASS.

ELECTRIC ANNUNCIATOR AND COMMUNICATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,286, dated May 8, 1883. Application filed June 9, 1880. (No model.)

Tonll whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM HUMANS, of Gambridgeport, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electric Annunciators and Communicating Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to electric annuncia- 1o tors and communicating apparatus, and is shown embodied in a hotetannunciator and apparatus connected therewith.

In the signaling apparatus now commonly used for hotels and similar purposes an annunr5 ciator is used to enable a room occupant to signal to an attendant at the hotel-office that something is wanted, the annunciator-drop indicating from what room the signal comes,

after which the want may be made known by communicating through speakingtubes, or an attendant is at once sent to the said room.

The invention consists in the arrangement of the circuits and methods of connecting them, as will be hereinafter more fully described. In the arrangement of the circuits herein shown each of the rooms is in abranch,

normally open, of a battery-circuit, the said branch passing through the coils of a telephone in the corresponding room, and those 0 of an electro-magnet controlling an annunciator-drop at the annunciator ot' the hotel-office,

' and all the said branches uniting and passing through a single signal-bell. The circuit from all the branches thus united is controlled by 5 a switch or circuit-changer, preferably operated by the weight of'the receiving-telephone of the 'annunciator, and which I shall denominate the battery-switch to distinguish it from others hereinafter mentioned. When a 4.0 room occupant desires to call the operator or clerk at the annnnciator he closes the branch circuit passing. through the said room by any form of key, (herein shown as a key in the telephone itse1t',) thus causing the annuncia- 5 tor-drop to fall and the signal-bell to sound, and if the saidbell is a vibrator, as shown, his telephone will give out a humming sound, owing to the repeated breaking of the circuit, and this sound will inform him that his signal is received. Upon receiving the said signal the operator at the annunciator removes his receiving-telephone from its hook, and in so doing operates the before-mentioned batteryswitch,which then breaks the circuit before described passing from the battery through 5 5 the bell and annunciator magnets, and at the same time closes a circuit from the battery through the electrodes and primary coil of the battery-transmitter in the annunciator-case. This operation stops the humming sound be- Be fore mentioned in the signalers telephone, and the operator at the annunciator at the same time moves a switch, which may be denominated the room-connecting switch, to a number corresponding to the number of the 6 room signaled from, and thus closes a circuit through the secondary coil of the transmitter and through the telephones at the annunciator and theone in the said room, the said circuit being mainly the same as that before used 7o for signaling, except that the portion then containing the battery and annunciator and signal-magnets is cut out, a shunt passing through the room switch, annunciator-telephones, and secondary coil of the transmitter taking its place. 1 shall hereinafter denominate the circuit when passing through the branch containing the signaling instruments the signaling circuit, and when passing through the other branch the talking or telephone circuit. While the apparatus is in the condition last described, with the tele phone-circuit closed throughone of the rooms, both the talking and signaling circuits from the other rooms are open, the former at the 8 roomswitch and the latter at the batteryswitch, so that upon closing the key in any of the said rooms no sound will be heard, and it will be understood that the clerk or attendant is communicating with some other person. I 0 have also added a hand-s witch in the part of the talking-circuit common to all the rooms to cut out the secondary coil of the transmitter, so that if it is not in working order the magneto-telephones alone can be used, and it is obvious that the battery-transmitter inightbe dispensed with altogether.

If desired, certain modifications in the circuits may be made, as, when the number of rooms is small, the room-switch and battery- IOO transmitter might be dispensed with, suitable switches being used to cut out the battery and vibrating bell and close a common talking-circuit to all the rooms which may pass through the annunciatordrops, and a magneto telephone in the anuunciator-case used both for receiving and. transmitting.

Figure 1 is a front view of an annunciator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows the block for insulating the signaling-keys in the rooms; Figs. 3 and ehfrontand sideelevationsv of the annunciator-drop and operating mechanism detached, and Fig. 5 a diagram showing the electric circuit and switches and the position of the instruments therein.

The annunciator (I, provided with drops 1), bearing numbers corresponding to the different rooms and adapted to fall behind the openings or windows 0 to announce from which room the signal is received, maybe of any usual construction.

A battery-transmitter, e, is shown in the annuneiator-case, which is also provided with two magneto telephones,ff, similar in general structure to the ones (I in the rooms, one of which is hung upon a hook, g, to operate the battery-switch h. (See Fig. 5.)

It is obvious that one of the magneto-telephones, as f, may be dispensed with or a single magneto-telephone may be employed in the annunciator-frame in the place occupied by the transmitter 0 instead of the transmitter c and telephonesff.

Upon the annunciator-franie is also placed the room-switch, shown as an arm, 6, capable ot'beingrotatedon a bearingaround the mouthpiece of the transmitter c to bring it in contact with any desired one of the studs opposite the figures 2 3 4: 5, &c., which are connected with wires forming a part of the talkingcircuits and joining the series passing from the different rooms to the annunciator, the arm '5 being connected with a wire passing through the telephones f f and secondary coil of the transmitter e to one of the contact points of the switch 71, by which it is connected to the common wire passing to all the other rooms when the telephonefis removed from the hook g. When there are more studs than can be placed conveniently in one circle around the transmitter they may be placed on several concentric circles, a second one of which is indicated by the studs 7, and the handlej of the switch-arm z may slide along the said arm, to be brought in position to engage the studs of any of the said circles that may be desired.

Referring to Fig. 5, the circuits and operation are as follows: The parts are shown in their normal position, the'telephonesff hung up, and the switch h, which consists of two separate movable circuit-closers,mn, each provided with two contact-points, one below and one above, in position to close the circuit with the lower contact-points of the two circuitclosers, thus closing the signaling-circuit and leaving the talking-circuit open. Starting from one pole of the battery It, the circuit,

which is now in condition for signaling, passes by wire 8 to the contact-point l of the arm at of the switch h. Wire 15 leads off from wire 8, and

is a part of the primary of the induction-coile, and thence by wire 16 comes to the upper contact-point of the arm n of the switch It, open in the present position of said switch. From the point Z the circuit passes by the arm at to wire 9, leading to and connecting all the rooms provided with the signaling apparatus, and having branch wires 10 leading to open keys or circuit-closers in each of the said rooms, (hereinshown as the keys 0 in the telephones d.) From each of the said open keys are wires 11, each adapted to be connected by the corresponding key 0 with the corresponding wire 10, and each leading through the coils of an annunciator-drop magnet, 19, toa common wire, 12, passing through the magnet 1' of thevibrating signal-bell to the armature thereof, the back stop of said armature being connected with wire 13, passing to the stop if of the arm a of the switch it, whence the circuit is completed bywire 14 to the battery k. Branch wires lead from the wires 11 between the telephones (1 anddrop magnets 19,- but these branches are either open at the studs of the room-switch, or, it the arm t thereof is con? nected withjany one of said studs, the circuit from the said arm finally comes by arm '5, wires 23 and 22, arm 20 of switch 20, wire 21, the secondary coil of 6, wire 20, switch-arm w, and wires 19 and 18 to the upper contactpoint of the arm m, now open.

Y'Vhenthe occupant of any room desires to signal the office he presses the key 0 at the telephone, which closes the circuit between the wires 10 and 11 corresponding to and leadingfrom the said room, the said key being fully shown in Fig. 2, the metal parts thereof being secured to a block, 0, of insulating material, and consisting of an anvil, 0 connected with the wire 10, and a spring, 0 normally out of contact with the said anvil and connected with the wire. 11, which passes through the induction-coil d of the telephone. Supposing the room to be the one containing the telephone at A, the operator, pressing the button 0, brings the spring 0" into contact with its anvil 0 and closes the signaling-circuitjust described from the battery is, through wires 8 9 10 ll 12 to the signal-bell s, and thence by wires 13 14 to the battery, the said circuit passing through the coils p of the annunciator, drop magnet in the said wire 11 leading from the room in question, to thus operate the said drop, and indicate the room signaled from, and also through the coils of the magnet of the bell s and of the telephone (1 at A, thus ringing a signal on the bell s, and in so doing causing a vibration of the diaphragm of the telephone of the circuit, the said vibration giving out a loud humming sound, which announces to the operator there that his signal is properly operating at the annunciator. The branch circuits 10 11 at the other rooms being all open at the d, owing to the repeated breaking and closing I wire leading to the room signaled from-in this instance the one marked 1. When the weight of the telephone f is removed from the hook g the arms on n spring up into contact with the points it o, openingthe signalcircuit at the points t'l, and thus stopping the ringing of the bell and sound in the telephone d, and at the same time placing the cirr5 cuit in the proper condition for talking. The battery-circuit is now from the wire 8 by the branch wire through the primary wire of the transmitter induction-coil e, and thence by wire 16 to one electrode of the said transmitter e, the circuit being completed from the other electrode by wire 17, arm n, and wire 14. i

The talking-circuit is nowras follows: Starting from the anvil 0 of the key not telephone (1 at A, it passes by wires 10 and 9 to the arm m of switch It, and thence by wire 18 through the coil of the telephone fand by wire 19 to the arm to of the hand-switch to, (see figure Let the bottom of the aImunciator-case,) and then by wire 20 through the secondary coil of the trans- 0 mitter c to wire 21, now connected with the arm 20 of switch to, whence the wire 22 passes to and through the coils of the other telephone, f, at the annunciator, which the operator may use in conjunction with the one f, removed from the hook g or not, asmost convenient, and from which the circuit is completed'by wire 23, room-switch i,and wires 24 11, through the coilot telephone (1 and spring-key0 to the starting-point 0 v 40 If desired, a single wire, 30, may lead from the wire 12 to a stud,3l, and the room-switch t'remain in connection therewith, thus completing the talking-circuit to=any desired one of the rooms in which the circuitis closed. at

' 5 the key 0, the talking-circuit then passing through the coil of the amiunciator-drop magnet, unless a drop-switch is used, as hereinafter described.

By the stopping of the humming sound in the telephone (1 the operator at A is informed room occupant closes the key 0 of his telephone no signal will be given and he will have no sound, and will consequently wait-and try again.

{i The hand-switch w is to cut out the secondr ary coil of battery-transmitter e from the talking-circuit in case anything is out of order in 3' the said transmitter. By swinging both the 6,5 arms w 20 to the left by their connecting insulating-handle 10 the arm to is brought into connection with the wire 25", thereby making a direct circuit between wires 19 and 22, and leaving the branch through the wires 20 21 and secondary coil open between 21 and 10 The communication will then be made by the magneto-telephones ff. The switchw is shown in Fig. 5 in inverted position.

The annunciator-drops b, Figs. 3 and 4, are supported on rods b on a shaft, pivoted at 25 in the frame b I), supporting the magnet 1),

having pole-pieces 19 extended upward at the ends of its core.

()n the shaft b supporting the drop I), is an armature, b extended not quite directly oppo site the drop-arm b from the shaft b the said arm being in its normal position, as in full lines, Fig. 7, nearly vertical, and the armature-arms being more inclined and resting against a projection, 26, from the frame b The result of this arrangement is that the magnet 19 tends to draw the armature b downward to bring it vertically beneath the shaft 11 and in coming to this position the shaft 1) is rocked and the drop I) carried over the po-- show from behind a window or opening, 0, of 5 the annuuciator, itbeing stopped by the projection 27 from the frame N.

If desired, the drop may operate a switch to close the talking and open the signaling circuits, as shown at B, Fig. 5, the wire 11 pass ing to the shaft 25, connected by an arm, 37, with thespring-point36 and magnet 2. When the drop falls the said arm 37 breaks the circuit through magnetp and closes the circuitthrough poiut38 to wire 24. It is evidentthat in this arrangement the wires 24 must bein permanent electrical connection with wire 23, the said switch thus pcrtbrming for its especial branch circuit what the switch i does for the collective circuit. The drop I) is restored to its nor lnal position by one of the knobs or handles a which, when pressed by the operator, acts ICO IIO

on an arm, a from a rock-shaft, af provided with a series of levers, a corresponding to the vertical rows of drops any one of which it is desired to restore. The said levers act on rods a provided with tappets (o as many in number as there are horizontal rows of annunciator-drops, each tappet adapted to engage an arm, b, on the shaft b and rock the said shaft back to its normal position. After the operator has pressed the knob a to raise a drop, as shown in full lines, Figs. 6 and 7, the knob a is returned to its normal position by the spring a and the rods to elevated by springs a as shown by the dottedlines Fig. 4, to again leave the drops b free to fall.

The mechanism for returning the drops is made in sections, each to operate a portion of all the drops, such division insuring a better operation and facilitating repair in case the apparatus gets out of order.

As a modification of the arrangement of the circuits shown in Fig. 5, all the apparatus be- I IS' low the broken line 00 as might be omitted, and that shown in dotted lines take its place, the wire 8 being joined directly to wire 9, as shown at 8", and a switch, 50, completing the signaling-circuit to wire 14* and the battery R. For talking, the switch would be brought into connection with the wire 12, breaking the circuit between wires 13 and 14*, the current now passing from wire 12 and the said switch by wire 51 through themagneto-telephone f which might take the place of either of the tele'phonesff, or the transmitter e. The resistance of the battery and annunciator magnet would now be in the circuit, but would not interfere with the communication.

I do not herein broadly claim a key or circuit-closer in a telephone to be held in the hand.

I claim 1. In combination with a series of transmitting-telephones, circuit-closers, annunciatordrops, signaling and talking circuits, and a central telephone, a rotary switch having a a movable piece on its arm adapted to be brought into contact with electrodes located at diiferent distances from the center of rotation, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In an electric apparatus, the herein-described electric switch, consisting of an arm pivoted to be swung around in a circle and provided with a contact-piece adapted to be moved toward or from the pivoted point of the said arm, and a series of electric circuits terminating in points arranged around the pivotal center of the said arm, whereby a circuitwire in constant connection with the said arm maybe electrically connected with any desired one of the said series of circuits by bringing the said contact-piece in contact with the terminal point thereof, substantially as described.

3. In combination with aseries of telephones, a vibrating or circuit-breaking signal and a central telephone, a double switch having its ends insulated from each other, and four electrodes, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 4

In combination, the four electrodes Z t u 'v and the double switch a m, the latter being united by the insulating-blocks, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

transmitter, a series of circuit-closers, a series of annunciator-drops, a battery, an inductioncoil, and a battery-transmitter, all the telephones adapted to act both as receivers and transmitters being in the secondary circuit of the induction-coil, the battery and batterytransmitter being in the primary circuit of that coil, and these two circuits being controlled by a double switch, so that when one of the series of closers is used to signal, the signal-circuit shall be made up in part of aportion of the wire which, when the transmitter is used, constitutes a portion of the primary circuit of the induction-coil, and when used as a talkingcircuit that part of the wire which is in the signaling portion of the circuit shall be cut out, all substantially as described.

7. In an electrical annunciator system, the combination, with the annunciator-drops, of an arm operated by the fall of the drop so as to break the circuit through the magnet of the drop and close the talking-circuit of its especial branch, substantially as described.

8. In an electric annunciator and com muui- WILLIAM HUMANS.

IVitnesses J 0s. 1?. LIVERMORE, G. W. GREGORY. 

